


Crimson Red

by PointyFangs



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-17 14:39:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2313119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PointyFangs/pseuds/PointyFangs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grell has always struggled with what the other reapers thought of her, but now she's working with a human, mankind's cruel gaze constantly upon her, a demon will change her sight forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Routine

Grell looked down on herself in disgust, a towel hiding her pale skin from sight. “Only when you bathe yourself…” She muttered under her breath. It was a sickening sight, one that sent bile down her throat… She’d love to get some sort of surgery to change herself to a body more suitable for her… But at the same time… She closed her eyes and slammed her toothbrush into her mouth. Grell Sutcliff, the crimson red reaper was scared. Crimson Red… That would be quite a nice title for that song she was working on! She promised she would show it to her master, Angelina Dallas, when she had finished fleshing it out.  
She moved to spit out the burning clumps of toothpaste, scrubbed to a foam with the rough bristles of the brush. She learned to stand on the side of the basin, it was easier not to catch sight of her own appearance. She leant down and spat again, her hair covering her reflection, sticking to her face in such a way that it didn’t get covered in toothpaste. It was lucky. It wouldn’t have been the first time something that disgusting would have happened to her.  
“Grell dear, you wouldn’t mind hurrying up would you?” She jumped. Madam Red didn’t sound like she was in a pleasant mood.  
“O-Of course!” Sure, Grell chose to call Madam Red her master, but they really treated eachother as equals when no one else was around. Though Grell still had to make her Madam cups of tea, each one coming out more horrible than he last… She rinsed her mouth, and towelled off her hair, quickly wrapping a dressing gown around the body that didn’t feel hers.  
She hung up her towel. It was deep blood red, her name embroidered in gold. She opened the bathroom door, and hurried out of the room, and into the luxurious bedroom Madam Red allowed her. She threw herself back on the bed and sighed. “Dear me… I hate dressing this way…”  
She glanced to the Butler uniform hanging on the wall beside her. At least most of it was clothes she would choose to wear regardless even if she had to hide her beautiful fashion under an ugly, unflattering black overcoat… She had that little boy to thank for her style… What was his name again…? Tommy? Tamsworth…? She would have to ask William next time she got a chance.  
She paused. William… She still regretted treating him so poorly in their youth. But at the same time… She regretted ever trying to stay so close to him. He was never kind to her. He never defended her. It was only Ronald’s friend in General Affairs that helped her even be recognized as the woman she was on her files. But her fear… Her fear of change wasn’t completely unfounded. She knew that if she ever went through with the change, she would just end up working behind a desk at General Affairs too. That didn’t suit her at all. She loved to be in the heat of battle, to rub shoulders with gorgeous men, and soak the world in rich, beautiful blood.  
For now, whenever she showed her face at her work, she would have to face abuse. “Tranny. It. Freak. Shemale. He.” Of all the words, he hurt the most. No one else could imagine the pain she suffered each day. Over time, she stopped even defending her gender. She finally sat up, and sighed, pulling on clothes. She wore the same pants, shirt, and vest she always did, and her dear madam had permitted her to wear the same white and red striped bow tied around her neck as well.  
She tied her hair, marred a hideous brown, into a ponytail, binding it in a lovely red bow that her master sewed for her. Madam Red pampered her far too much… But she was aware the Grell was a grim reaper. She wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to satisfy her so that she could live longer. What a naïve way to think.  
Grell laughed to herself, as she walked over to her vanity, looking at the makeup, and dye, lined up against the fine mahogany. She quickly began to apply powders to her fair skin. While her face and body weren’t exactly up to the standard Grell wished of them, she took pride in her smooth, pale, blemish free skin. This time she could not wear her makeup as she wished. There was no way she could get away with wearing lipstick, or eyeliner, or eyelashes, or-  
She was getting carried away. “Oh dear… “ She just calmly countoured her cheeks to make herself look more masculine. Before long, the face looking back at her was not of her own, but that of the cowardly, inept butler of the same name. The Burnett Butler, Grell Sutcliff.


	2. Thoughts and Horses

“Grell!”

Madam Red’s sharp shout made the Burnett butler jump. She glanced to the clock on her bedroom wall. _Dear me,_ she thought to herself, _I’ve wasted half an hour in thought!_

She stretched, and made her way to Madam Red’s bedroom, smiling sheepishly at her master, as she stared her down, her arms folded across her chest. “What took you Grell? I called you many times!” Madam Red blinked, then stared into Grell’s eyes. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” A lie. Grell hadn’t been fine in quite a long time. In fact, she don’t think she had ever been fine. At least not in her recent memory. “You could have called someone else, Madam. You have many servants.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re the only one strong enough to tie this bloody thing right.” She sighed, nodding her head to the corset, only sitting loosely around her waist.

“Of course Madam.” She turned Angelina around, with a touch on her Madam’s shoulders, and held the string of the corset between her slender fingers. She gently tightened each rung of string, in silence.

“I’m almost certain there is something wrong dear. I have the inkling you’re keeping something from me.”

“There is a lot I must keep from you.” Grell teased. She hoped that teasing her would take Angelina’s mind off the truth that Grell hid. “I am a Grim Reaper after all.”

“I suppose…” She frowned, wincing as Grell began to pull the string tighter around her waist. “You aren’t slacking off on that work are you?”

“No of course not!” Grell didn’t like the accusatory tone of her voice. She wouldn’t dare slack off when hiding such a secret! It would spell the end for them both… William probably already hated her anyway, so she had to admit it was hard to care whether or not he found out about doing this to innocent humans. It’s not like he ever cared about her. “How could you say that!?”

She pulled the corset again tightly, too tight for Madam Red. “Ow! Hey!? Watch what you’re doing!”

Grell dropped the string in panic, then ran around her to face her. “Oh god… I’m so sorry! Are… Are you alright Madam!?”

“I’m fine. You’re not all there today. Did you not sleep? You should have told me, I would have made you something to help!” Madam Red snapped at her. But that wasn’t completely anger. It was also worried. Grell’s own concern faded into a soft smile.

“I have been struggling.” She admitted. It wasn’t a lie. She never quite got enough sleep after her jobs… Especially after the more morbid ones that had taken place recently… Though… It was strange. She couldn’t stand the sight of a brutal accident, but when she was tearing people apart, she got a sick kind of pleasure from it. Maybe the other Reaper’s were right. She was insane.

“Well when we get home tomorrow I shall make you something to ease that trouble.”

“We’re going somewhere today?”

“Did you forget already? We’re going to my Nephew’s. Ciel Phantomhive’s…”

“The queen’s watchdog right?”

“How did you know?”

“I heard gossip from the other servants.” She admitted half-heartedly. “But I know everything else you’ve told me.”

“Ah, that’s right…” She muttered, as Grell loosened the corset tightly. Enough so that it made her as thin as she wanted to be, but loose enough so that she could breath. “I am looking forward to it. His butler can actually cook and make a cup of tea!” She laughed quietly, as Grell’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Oh you’re too kind, Madam.” She snidely replied. “Alright. I’ll leave one of the maids to finish helping you here, and prepare our carriage for departure.”

“Thank you Grell.”

She left for outside, toward the stable. She knew Madam Red would take a long time to finish preparing, so she concluded that taking some time to relax with the horses was much needed to keep herself healthy and beautiful.

She was met with a snout nuzzling into her cheek, and she smiled. “My my, Sampson, you’re looking quite handsome today!” She gently ran her fingers across the horses coat and sighed. She could hear madam Red making a fuss from here. “Oh dear… I have tried to love her Sampson, you know that don’t you?” He snorted quietly at her. “I can’t betray my emotions. I feel more like she’s a caregiver… and… she keeps saying she understands but I know she doesn’t- What am I doing?” She gave a slight laugh, and shook her head. “You’re just a dumb horse. You can’t help me. Come on. It’s you and Vincent’s turn today.”

She led the two horses from the stables, and spent much time to make sure they were safely and securely bound to the carriage. If she were to have an accident… She would save Madam Red, but that beautiful red woman would never forgive her for it.

Vincent, a large grey horse, bounced his head at her. “Your name makes me sad, Vincent. I know what that name means to my Madam… But you’re her favourite horse, so it’s little surprise that you have her favourite name.” She scratched his forehead, and turned to Sampson. “But little Sammy, you’re my horse, and _I_ love you a lot.” She kissed his nose, and sighed into his fur.  “Horses are nicer than humans.” She sighed to him. “But then again…” She smirked to him. “Men like you aren’t as attractive as someone like William…” She gave a slight giggle, and patted his shoulder. “Wait here. I’m getting our madam for our little excursion!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the chapter took so long but I've been having a hard time with figuring out how to write this! Thanks for the support so far! :>


	3. Carriages and Manors

Grell allowed Madam Red to grip her hand, as she climbed into her extravagant red carriage. She was squeezing Grell tight, tight enough to hurt the reaper in disguise. With the slightest sway of the carriage, Madam Red was holding Grell’s hand too tight. “Ouch!”  
“I… I’m sorry Grell…”  
“It’s alright.” She reassured, shaking the pain out of her hand after Madam Red was seated safely inside of the carriage. “I understand.” And she truly did. This wasn’t a lie to make her Madam feel better like many others she had said before. The accident that lost the madam her lover and her unborn child... Grell and Ronald Knox where there to reap that incident together… Ronald did it calmly and stoicly. He had two souls, and Grell had but one, a bystander that was caught in the wreckage. Sometimes she wondered if it was because of Ronald that Madam Red ever managed to survive in the first place. He disappeared towards the carriage and didn’t appear until quite a while later, she reminded herself. “I would be weary as well, if I went through what you did.”  
“Yes… Thank you Grell.” She kissed her Madam’s hand, and made sure the carriage door was shut and secure, gently and carefully climbing into the driver’s seat.   
“Come now, Vincent, Sampson, let’s go. Careful now. We don’t want to make this a bumpy ride.”  
They whinnied, as they kicked away, trotting towards their destination at a medium pace. Grell made sure they carefully kept a balanced pace, so that no bumps or shifts in speed would spook both them and Madam Red. Of course, that meant their trip would be long and slow. She gently hummed to herself, nodding in greeting every time another carriage passed them.  
After hours of slow riding in the muggy air, they arrived at what Grell was certain was the Phantomhive manor. She climbed down from her seat, and cuddled Vincent and Sampson’s snouts. “Thank you for a pleasant ride. I shall put you away momentarily.” She turned and opened the door for her Madam. “Please tell me this is the right place.”  
“Luckily, this time, it is.” Madam Red reassured. As she stepped down, a large shout made the horses uneasy, and the stamped their feet, making the carriage sway. Madam Red yelped in fear, and Grell quickly held her in her arms, and lifted her down to solid ground.   
“Madam, you’re alright. I have you. You’re on the ground.”  
She straightened herself, and stopped for a moment to breath, leaning herself against the carriage. “I think I ended up more spooked than the horses… Calm them will you?”  
“Of course Madam.”  
She walked up to Vincent and Sampson, and held both of their snouts to her chest. “Come now boys, it’s alright, it’s alright.”  
“Dear me, Madam Red, you never think to call ahead do you?” Grell looked up at the sound of the young voice, and frowned. A young boy, dressed in a fine blue suit. Those shorts didn’t suit him at all, he had hideous knees… Though those boots… She’s steal them herself if they weren’t much too small.   
“Ah, Ciel, come now. I’m your aunt, I don’t have to announce myself when I want to see you!” As feisty as ever… She never got sick of that attitude. Grell smiled to herself, glancing over at Ciel, and the tall lanky butler, standing behind him. The butler was clad in black his fringe framing his face parted in the middle. She couldn’t get a good look at his place, but… He looked so attractive…  
“And who is that there?” He shouted to her, slamming his cane down onto the ground. “Have you gotten yourself a new butler?”  
“Ah!” Grell squeaked. Now, he acting prowess needed to shine through. She needed to be a timid little butler, the one Madam Red designed. “Oh… Y-Yes sir! My name is Grell Sutcliff, the Burnett Butler!” She bowed profusely, Sampson head-butting her, and making her stumble to the side. Oh no. She forgot to wear the flat dress shoes Madam Red brought her… “I have been accompanying Madam Red for several months now Mister Phantomhive, sir!”  
“Finnian!” A small blonde, leaves and sticks clinging to him from every which way, scrambled out of the scrub beside the large manor.   
He stood straight and saluted, a stupidly large smile on his face. “YES SIR!”  
Ciel’s eyebrows furrowed in what seemed like annoyance to Grell. “Please escort Mr-“ Grell shifted uncomfortably. She couldn’t tell if it was her own paranoia making her think that she was that easily seen through, or if she really did such a good job of her makeup to change her appearance. “-Sutcliff to the stables. Help him put away their horses. Sebastian!”  
“Yes, my lord?” The butler said with a smirk.  
“Please take Madam Red’s belongings will you?”  
“Of course my Lord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying with me for another chapter! Any feedback is much appreciated! (I'm glad this one was a little quicker than the last hehe)


	4. Bones and Deites

Grell was too busy staring at Ciel Phantomhive’s butler, Sebastian, so when she found herself practically nose to nose with the young gardener Finnian, she was much more easy to jump than she would have liked. “Dear me, don’t sneak up on me like that!” She sounded much too angry. No no… That wouldn’t do at all. She took a deep breath and composed herself. “S…Sorry Mr Finnian…”  
“Oh please!” He said with a stupidly large grin, gently running his fingers across the horses’ coats, “Just call me Finny!”  
“Oh… Alright Finny… I-I’m Grell…” She held out her hand, with a forced nervous smile. She hated how underestimated her acting ability was by the grim reapers back at home. “It’s a pleasure.”  
“Oh no!” He gripped her hand and squeezed, making her gasp, then yelp in pain. “The pleasure’s all… mine…?”  
Sebastian was abruptly beside them as Grell ripped her hand away and cradled it in the other. “What are you doing Finnian? Don’t tell me your absurd strength has gotten in the way again!”  
Grell watched through half squinted eyes. She would never be hurt like this by a regular human. What was wrong with this boy? Finnian was beginning to whimper and sob. “I… I’m sorry Mr Sebastian…! I… I didn’t mean…!”  
“Honestly…” Sebastian said with a huff. Grell opened her eyes a little wider. It must have been the pain she was in, though her body’s godly structure meant it was already beginning to recede. That boy shattered the bones in her wrist no doubt, so she would have to get it sitting straight before it set and she’d have to go through that pain all over again… What was she thinking? Oh yes… She had seen her boss William in Sebastian in that moment… Now that she thought about it, she’d seen a demon that looked an awful lot like the both of them… “Mr Sutcliff are you listening?”  
“W... Wha…?”  
“I asked you if you were alright. Finnian I will leave the horses to you now. Please do not disappoint me again…” He turned back to Grell. “So are you alright?”  
“N…Not particularly…” She would have to re-break it by now… But this was not expected, so she couldn’t possibly have expected a different outcome. “Dear me… Could you excuse me to go check on it?”  
“Do not be silly. You are a guest in this manor, I shall assist you.”  
Shit. She hissed under her breath, squeezing her hand tightly so to make sure that it would not set in such an awkward shape. “A…Alright… Thank you… What do I call you?”  
“Sebastian Michaelis.” He bowed, and smiled, “Please follow me… I do hope that you can forgive our gardener… He is strangely powerful…” As they walked, Grell shuddered at the smell he gave off. He was completely beautiful, and the cologne she could smell was lovely… Vanilla…? She hesitated. No, he smelt like tea…. But that wasn’t the smell she was concerned by. He smelt like the aftermath of a slaughter of souls.... He smelt like a demon. “You’re hiding your pain quite well aren’t you?”  
“And you’re quite calm about this too Mister Michaelis.”  
“I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, but I’ll have you know, that my masters soul belongs to me and me alone.”  
“I’m not the sort of person to do that.” She snarled. “I don’t really want to ask a demon something like this, but help me out will you? I can’t quite fix it myself.”  
“It’s what I was going to do anyway wasn’t it?”  
He gave a cruel smirk, and she flinched. “O…Oh yes…” He shoved her into the bathroom roughly, and held her hand close to his face, making her blush profusely. “Ah- Mr… Sebastian? Ack…”  
She bit down on her lip hard as he re-broke her hand himself. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I too rough for you?”  
He began to bind it tightly, making sure to squeeze it too hard with each wrap with the bandage around her wrist. “Now, that should all be better by tea time, mr Reaper. Please follow me back to the masters. Who knows why you’re posing as a butler, hmm?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh thanks for sticking around for another chapter! I really hope you enjoy this one as well! I don't know when the next one will be, but hopefully soon! Thank you!!


	5. Passive Aggression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops... Two chapters in two days. that hasn't happened before...! Ah well, hope you enjoy! ((I think the theme of this story has changed a lot since when I first started planning it oops ))

Grell was smirking to herself more than she should have as she followed Sebastian. “Could you have been less cruel, Mr Sebastian?” She said with a smirk. He shook his head. Anyone would have thought he was ignoring her presence as they walked, the shake was that subtle. “Come now, I need to be forceful to break the bones in as vile a creature as you.”  
“Hmph…”She turned her head away from his image, but only briefly. He was too beautiful… She couldn’t keep her eyes away…!   
“It would do you better to stop staring at me. My master is sharp.”  
“How now,” She replied calmly, fighting to not act like her true self, “I’m just Madam Red’s inept butler, I am just watching you to learn.”  
He replied with a small huff. “As you wish Mr Sutcliff.”  
She froze, and frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. She’d like to argue, but she knew that she’d like to – as handsome as he really was – distance herself from him. “You can just call me Grell.”  
“Alright Grell, please, enter the study… With your hand, you should just…” He hid a laugh in his sleeve. “Rest, my friend.”  
She sneered at him, as she entered the study, Madam Red turning her head, and quickly standing when she saw Grell’s hand. That’s right… She was an actor again. “Grell! What in the world happened to you!?”  
“Our gardener is absurdly strong…” Sebastian frowned, bowing to her. “Unfortunately, Mr Sutcliff here has befallen victim to such.”  
“I knew you were hopeless Grell…” She said allowed, before leaning closer and whispering, “Just act out the injury for a little longer then,” into her ear.  
“Y-Yes madam…” she said quietly. “I’m sorry I cannot assist you around the manor.”  
“Come now, you’re a guest. Please, just attend to your master.”  
“Yes, yes of course.”  
Sebastian bowed again, and left the room, Grell moving to stand beside her madam, as they turned back to Ciel Phantomhive. His head was in his hands, his uncovered eye… It took no guessing as to where his covenant symbol lay… His uncovered eye was flat and bored looking. “I’m terribly sorry for that Mr Sutcliff. Finnian… In fact all my servants barring Tanaka are exceptionally foolish.”  
“What about Sebastian?” Madam Red frowned. “From my knowledge he is an exceptional butler.”  
“I never said he wasn’t an exceptional butler,” Ciel frowned. Oh god, he sounded exactly like the whiny rich brat he looked like. Grell couldn’t stand it. “If he wasn’t an exceptional butler, he would be failing me. He is foolish in thinking that I don’t know he goes out to feed the stray cats every day… Sometimes I see him do it…”  
“That’s right, it’d give you allergies wouldn’t it…” Madam Red smiled, clearly holding back a slight laugh. “I think it’s sweet. You wouldn’t expect it of someone like Sebastian…”  
“No, you wouldn’t…” Grell muttered under her breath. The more she heard about this demon, the more curious she became. She would have to try and get close to him… But there was no doubt she’d already piqued his suspicion. And as much as she knew he was trying to put her in as much pain as possible with the situation regarding his hand… He did a good job… He seemed honest enough, but she still couldn’t trust him. She held it… It was almost fully healed, but it would be painful for quite a long time.   
Now that she thought about it, she had a target tonight… She’d have to get changed, reap the soul, and drop it off to William all rather quickly… But then again, Sebastian knew what she was already… She sighed, and shook her head. There was no point in worrying herself now. She may as well just let things play out how it would…  
“Mr Sutcliff, are you sure you’re alright…?” Ciel frowned. He didn’t sound worried or concerned… That was just forced… and obligation, because she got hurt in his manor… Her eyebrows furrowed. He was beginning to piss her off.  
“It’ll be fine Ciel, do not worry. I am a doctor after all. If anything is wrong I can easily take care of it.”  
“Right… I forgot…” He said with a slight smile.   
“Today,” The door opened, and Sebastian came into the room, pushing a silver trolley of extravagant china, teas and sweets, “We have Assam black tea, sided with a sweet strawberry tart. I hope it is too your taste. And Mr Grell, I have prepared you some as well if you would wish.”  
He handed her the small cup. He was smirking. “O-Oh…! Thank you….!” She took a slight sip, and had to try not to spit it out. He put a ridiculous amount of salt in the tea… The nerve…! “It’s…. Delicious! Thank you…!”  
“I’ll have to make you more then…!” He smirked, keeping a stupidly straight face… This man was going to pay.   
“It is quite delicious… Thank you Sebastian.” Madam Red said with a sighed smile. “Oh it’s very relaxing… Grell your tea is atrocious, why can’t you make it like this?”  
“S-Sorry madam… I shall try…” Of course she wouldn’t make it like her cup of tea.  
“Thank you Sebastian…” Ciel said with a dull voice. “The tart compliments it very well…”  
“Yes yes!” Her madam exclaimed, as she took a bite. “Grell, you were made a slice! Go on! Try it!”  
“Y... Yes Madam…”  
In all honesty she didn’t really want to try it after what she’d done to her tea. She placed her tea cup down nearby, and took her slice of tart. “Of course, this doesn’t make up for the injury you have received at the hands of our gardener, but I hope it at least makes you feel better.”  
She nodded weakly, and took a bite. She hesitated, then jumped at the sound of a large crash nearby. “Well, that would be Mey-Rin… Excuse me my young master.” He bowed, then quickly left, his calm composure clearly fading. Grell swore she heard him whisper, ‘idiots…” under his breath.  
She paused, after she realised that behind the sweet taste of the tart was a sort of poison. She wasn’t able to tell, but none the less, he was trying to make her stay at the manor hell. Well… She gave a slight smirk, swallowing the tart. If he wanted a war…


	6. Her Real Home

The others had long gone to bed… Though Grell could still here the demon wandering the corridors. She wasn’t surprised. She knew that demons didn’t need sleep, unlike the grim reaper… What a bother…   
She gave a huff. She didn’t want to go deal with her marks tonight, she felt unwell from that poisoned tart… Damn demon. She sat up, and looked at the clock, ticking on and on in the night. In her own bedroom, she would refuse to have any sort of clock… It would just be much noise for her to get used to. It was midnight… The mark was in half an hour. She had enough time to get changed into her typical clothes. That at least could make her happy.  
She brushed the dirty brown colour out of her crimson hair, taking it out of its dull ponytail. She fluffed it up, and brushed her bangs back into the shape she liked to be. She took her more subtle death scythe from her pocket. Using this one let her avoid suspicion, as long as her more precious scythe was unapproved. She shoved it deep into the pocket of her pants. They were just a dull pair of garden sheers after all… She much preferred her crimson chainsaw, but she felt somewhat glad she was able to save it for the brutal deaths that suited her.   
Grell smirked to herself, but soon began to frown at the thought of William T. Spears disappointed glare… If she was caught… But Madam Red’s death was no time soon… She shrugged, and climbed out the window, disappearing into the night.  
oooo  
She leapt up to the rooftops, the cinematic record of a poor young child hit by a horse carriage, that was just too late to return home, spewed up from the body. Grell watched with sunken eyes as the girls life rushed past her sight… Grell stomach was sinking. She hated seeing the memories of children especially how… She gripped her stomach, and looked away at the sight of the child getting struck by the horses. Especially how she earned of a child to call her own.  
“Mary Blackburn, born August 12th 1878 and died on 18th of April, 1887. Died due to severe blood loss caused by the trauma of a carriage accident… Nothing of note…” She stamped the death record, and sighed, rubbing her eyes. She’d need to go to the office now… Face the people she left behind… She shook her head. She wouldn’t have to be there for long.  
It didn’t take long for her to arrive at her true place of work, her clipboard under her shoulder. She stopped at the secretary office, noticing Ronald was still there chatting up his friend. “Hey, brat.” She smirked, bumping her knuckles on the top of his hair.   
“Oi, oi, Mr Sutcliff watch it!”  
Her eyebrow twitched. “That’s Miss Sutcliff to you, Ronald. How’ve you been?”  
“Ah, pretty alright…” He said with a smile. “Eric’s havin’ another party tonight anyway, so you can guess where I’m headed tonight…”  
She smiled. “Hopeless…” She muttered under her breath. “And you sweetie?”  
The secretary perked her head up, and smiled. “Ah, Grell, here, I’ve got something for you!”  
“Huh!?”  
The secretary leant up, and wrapped a bright scarlet scarf, striped with small grey after long intervals, around her neck. Grell sunk into it. It was a warmth she desperately needed on this cold night. “There! I found the wool and just had to make it for you!” She grinned at her, making Grell smile wide back at her. “But other than that, I’ve been good as always. That makeup you’ve gotten me is doing wonders! Thank you!”  
“Ah that’s quite alright, that’s what I’m here for…” She said quietly. “I’m glad you’re both well… Alright, I better go hand this in and get some rest… It’s been a rough night.”  
“Of course Grell.” The secretary smiled. “Have a good night.”  
“Yeah, you guys too.” She quickly turned her back on them. Any longer and she could accidently open up to them about the hell she’s been causing them… She noticed that since she started killing for Madam Red, everyone had been staying at work for an hour longer than they used to. She stopped by her desk on the way to William T. Spears office, and quickly filled in the remaining paperwork.   
She feared arriving in the office of the boy she graduated with. He was sharp… Would he notice her makeup was nowhere near as extravagant as they usually was? Or would he know she looked nauseous…? She shook her head of the thoughts. “As always, you’re just too paranoid…” She told herself.  
She finally stood, and pushed her way into William’s office. She thumped the paper work on his desk, and she blinked at the sight of him in a scarf similar to hers. “So you fell victim to her craft as well?” He said flatly, adjusting it from around his neck, and picking up her paperwork, skimming over it.  
“I wouldn’t call myself a victim.” She quietly replied. “It’s quite beautiful. It’s perfect for cold nights like this.”  
“I know you don’t like reaping children, but, as always, we’re short staffed, and with this rouge reaper going around, I can’t exactly change things around just to make you feel better.”  
“Of course William, I understand… As much as I love the more brutal reaping, children just never sit right with me…” She said with a forced laugh. “Is it all to your liking then?”  
“Yes, thank you… And Grell.”  
“Hmm?”  
“Just be careful with this rouge going around. Who knows who else they’ll target.”  
“Oh, of course. Thank you William. You stay safe as well…” She stretched and yawned. “Well… I’m off to bed. Goodnight William. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”  
“Yeah.”  
He was enthralled in his work again already, and she sighed, stretching. All she really needed now was a nice long good night’s rest.


	7. Transformation

“Good morning Mister Sutcliff, did you happen to have a good adventure last night?”  
Grell screwed up her face as harsh light shone in her eyes. Who… Was that…? William…? She sat up with a jolt and yelped, but there was no one there. Her curtains were just flung wide open. She frowned. “Wha…?”  
“Grell, are you up yet!?” Oh god, Madam Red sounded mad. She jolted upright and quickly covered herself in her dressing gown, fumbling to open the door.   
“I-I am now Madam!” She opened the door a crack. Jesus she forgot to redye her hair last night. Madam Red frowned at her. “Sorry…” She made sure her voice was quiet as possible, eye squinted. She hadn’t put her glasses on yet, so everything was blurred. “I had a job last night. Can’t exactly be seen lookin’ human.”  
“Alright… Hurry up and get ready. No time for much. You’re taking us to the town in an hour.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“I’m not telling Ciel we’re going dancing of course. That’ll be the perfect time for the next mark…”  
“Alright. I understand… I shall prepare myself.”  
Madam Red shut the door, as Grell stretched, and fumbled across the room for her glasses. She still felt queasy… she wasn’t sure if it was because of her nerves from seeing William last night, or if that tart was still making her feel unwell. She quickly pushed the glasses across her nose, feeling accomplished that she didn’t nearly gouge out her own eye this early in the morning. She frowned. That happened more often than she’d like to admit.  
She opened her suitcase… Wait… had it been rummaged through…? She shook her head of the paranoia, and brushed the disgusting brown dye through the more attractive lovely red. Urk… It was disgusting. She brushed it back, and tied it with Madam Red’s bow. Thank goodness she was allowed to wear red in some places.  
She sprayed herself in a musty perfume. It wasn’t her favourite, but it was much less noticeable, which right now, was exactly what she needed. She pulled on her usual pants, dress shirt, and- That’s right… she’d stopped by Madam Red’s to get the shoes she was meant to be wearing. She wondered how many noticed her footwear yesterday… She pulled on the dull black flats. Now she could dress as ugly as Sebastian! She laughed quietly to herself. She needed good sleep and humour to keep herself relaxed, her skin as flawless as she took pride in it being.  
“No… At least he gets to wear that beautiful swallowtail coat…” She buttoned up her waistcoat, and pulled on the thick black jacket. Now, she was ugly and ready to blend in to the background. She was just a butler. Who would notice when she slipped away into the crowds. Who would discover her when the death scythe she used was nothing like the one she was meant to be using. She smiled to herself. It was rather genius actually… Of course Sebastian would be suspicious, but in their state, they both were actors in a grand play, both being who they truly weren’t.   
She shuddered at the thought. He was quite amazing… And so cruel… so much like William yet so different.  
She quickly brushed some makeup across her face, and got up, shutting all her makeup away. Rushing out to escort her madam to her fun, and another woman to her demise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh sorry it's so short, I just didn't have time. But, luckily, there will most likely be another chapter today!


	8. Jack the Ripper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, I'm not great at writing it, but there is some violence and death in this chapter

Grell smirked in the face of the woman bound to a chair before her, only just beginning to come around. She was gently stirring a makeup of her own concoction in a small bowl. It was special… So far Grell hadn’t been able to recreate a red as beautiful as the blood that she was spilling… If more was going to be spilt… Why not just use it to make them pretty before their demise?  
She smiled to herself, beginning to apply it to the prostitutes’ face. She didn’t pay much heed to her name… Mary something… But she was an idiot. Not every girl was as lucky as her, to be able to live as a mother, to be born a woman… Grell was snarling at her at the thought.  
“Uh… Huh!?” She began to scream loudly, making Grell flinch at the noise.   
“Shut it,” Grell quickly snarled, her fangs bared.   
“Ah… ah… Monster…”  
“Hmph… Hold still.” She smeared the red makeup across the woman’s ugly face.   
“Wh…What are you doing!?” She was shouting and screaming. Grell’s work was becoming much too messy, and her work was getting far too hard with this one.  
“Just stay still!” She gripped the woman’s neck, but as she went to move her hand closer to her face, she was met with the sharp pain of teeth sinking into her hand. Grell gave a sharp yelp, and pulled out her death scythe. “I wanted to make you beautiful before your life faded… I gave you a chance… Die.”  
She revved her death scythe. She was quite proud when she made it… A ‘chainsaw’ she called it. Oh William wouldn’t let her use it for a day before taking it away.   
Grell gave a devious laugh as she drove the chainsaw into her chest, revving it violently as she ripped it out. Her cinematic record began to unravel from her chest, but Grell forced it back. “Oh no, you aren’t going to die just yet!” She yelled. “You’re going to suffer like we do! Do you think it’s easy for us!? Yet you just take it away from yourself!?”  
The prostitute was screaming in her ear. “I… I don’t.. ARGH!” Grell dug her death scythe into her shoulder, revving it more slowly now, to draw out the pain and suffering.   
“Of course you don’t understand! You’ve had the chance, and haven’t taken it!” Grell was giving a mixture of screaming and crying into her face, when she finally fell limp, nothing Grell did letting her cinematic record return to her. “You can have a baby…”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! It's just a little drabble I wrote a little while ago that I've fleshed out since! Hope you enjoy! :3c


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